Season 5 Podcast 138 Book of Revelation Chapter 13 “Opening of the Seven Seals, K, The Mark of the Beast, Beast 2.”

A New Voice of Freedom

Season 5 Podcast 138 Book of Revelation Chapter 13 “Opening of the Seven Seals, K, The Mark of the Beast, Beast 2.”

Last week we examined Beast 1. He rose up out of the sea “having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” A similar description was given of Satan who had “seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.” The only difference between Satan and the beast that rose out of the sea was that Satan had seven crowns on his seven heads. The beast had ten crowns on his ten horns.” They represent kingdoms on earth who are controlled by Satan, made clear by the parallelism. They are fighting against the kingdom of God on earth but do not know they are led by Satan. The beast rising up out of the sea is an image of war compared to a leopard, lion, and bear, and his power and authority come from Satan. He reigns for three and a half years and “It was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nation.” It appears that there will be a World War III. A battle cry was heard, “Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him.” However one of the heads of the first beast was wounded to the death.” That, of course, would symbolize the death of the whole beast, but somehow he rises from the dead causing the world to wonder.

A second beast takes his place. The second beast takes on a clever disguise.

Revelation 13:11

“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.”

The sea image of the first beast is one of war. The earth image of the second beast is one of domination. It symbolizes a totalitarian state unlike any the world has ever seen. Rather than ten horns with ten crowns which symbolize ten earthly kingdoms in league, all fighting against the Kingdom of God, the second beast is more like a lamb with two horns, yet he spake as a dragon, meaning that his power and authority also come from Satan. He is as evil as the first, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Revelation 13:12

“And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”

This is an image of a conquered people. What they before fought, now they have joined. What before they feared, now they worship. The second beast has all the power of the first beast though it takes a different form. The first is of war, the second is of administration. The second beast, like the first, causes the people to worship Satan rather than God. Clearly the false resurrection image is the image of Satan, the antichrist, counterfeiting Christ. Notice also the religious imagery. The beasts are trying to replace the true religion of Christ with the false religion of Satan. Those who follow the beasts actually think they are worshiping God. The world will be polarized. One side will be comprised of those who worship the beast. The other side will be comprised of those few who worship the only true God. The saints will be vastly outnumbered. The second beast performs great miracles deceiving even the elect.

Revelation 13:13-14

“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.”